Prebreeding Exams for Beef Replacement Heifers

Self-paced
1 credit
Instructor: Craig Payne

Course Overview:

Pre-breeding evaluation of beef replacement heifers can provide practical information that improves both selection and development decisions. This course presents a commercial-cowherd perspective on the purpose and value of pre-breeding exams.

The presentation explains how pelvic measurement and reproductive tract scoring are used as screening tools rather than selection tools. It also discusses how these findings should be interpreted within the context of the whole operation, including nutrition, calving distribution, sire selection, heifer maturity, and herd history of calving difficulty. Practical use of these exams to support culling decisions, synchronization programs, and long-term management improvement is also reviewed.

Learning Outcomes:

Individuals who complete this course will be able to:

Explain the purpose of pre-breeding evaluation in beef replacement heifers.
Describe how pelvic measurements are collected and interpreted as a screening tool for dystocia risk.
Interpret reproductive tract scores and relate them to pubertal status and expected breeding performance.
Use pre-breeding exam findings to evaluate heifer development, culling decisions, and herd management practices.

Topics:

Prebreeding Exams for Beef Replacement Heifers

Instructor(s):

Craig A. Payne, DVM, MS

Materials:

This course contains:

- A recorded webinar and full transcript covering the topic

- A five-question quiz required for CE credit

- An optional course evaluation survey

Length:

50 minutes

Department:

Veterinary Extension and Continuing Education

Credit:

This course is approved for 1 hour of veterinary continuing education (CE) credit by the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine.

Audience:

Veterinarians, Veterinary Technicians, Veterinary Students

Accommodations

University of Missouri Extension complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. If you have a disability and need accommodations in connection with participation in an educational program or you need materials in an alternate format, please notify your instructor as soon as possible so that necessary arrangements can be made. Language access services, such as interpretation or translation of vital information, will be provided free of charge to limited English proficient individuals upon request. All requests must be made a minimum of 14 days before course start date. MU Extension will attempt to implement late requests but cannot guarantee they will be met.

Cancellations and Refund Requests

Access MU Extension’s Course Cancellation and Refund Policy for details.

Full course description